| Urban Life Center | |
| What ULC participants have to say.... |
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| I just wanted to write to
thank you for an awesome summer. I don't think I've learned so much
about
ethnic and cultural diversity in one session (and I'm diverse too!).
It's
been so wonderful seeing people accept the fact that America doesn't
just
embrace the majority race. Seeing the different communities come
together
to put on shows and events really made it possible for everyone to
realize
that diversity is truly a beautiful and phenomenal thing.
I think I came to Chicago
knowing that I was going to learn something. Only I never fathomed it to
be an issue so large and a lesson I'd never forget. I know I came with
a closed mind (don't we all) because I felt that I knew everything there
was to be diverse...after all, look at me! I am diverse! I was just in
for a big surprise, because I realized that not only was it important
for
me to learn about myself and my own differences, but it was equally
important
to learn about others and their cultural identities.
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| The main reason I would give for someone to
come
to ULC would be ‘Experience the city and broaden your way of thinking.’
M. Schmidt, Nebraska Wesleyan University |
I have found a part of myself I never knew
existed.
R. Wilson, Bethany College |
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| I learned the most about
diversity at my placement, where many ethnic groups came together to
deliver
health care to the homeless, refugees, victims of torture, immigrants
and
so forth. It was amazing to see how different cultural believes and
traditions
can interfere with health care.
This program was the best decision I could have ever made about a January session off-campus. C. Reyes, Manchester College |
It seems like months ago
I was stepping off the plane at O'Hare not having a clue of what to
expect
in the huge city of Chicago. I was nervous about using buses and trains,
uneasy about not knowing my roommates and if I would get along with
anybody
here...After far too much worrying, I have found myself in a place that
I have happily called home for the past three weeks. Living in an
apartment with four total strangers, sharing one shower, grocery
shopping,
cooking meals, hanging out, and talking about where we come from and the
experiences we've had have been better than I ever could have imagined.
J. Peters, Bethel College |
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| Mastering the CTA,
walking
around the city trying to find my destination, keeping my composure has
given me the confidence to do so much more... Thank you for everything!
A. Long, Hastings College |
This summer has
reaffirmed
my desire to live in a large urban area. The diversity, the night-life,
challenges, the vibrance, the beauty, the social issues, the feeling of
being "where it's at," all provide me with reasons...This summer has
been
wonderful, and it is so hard to see it come to an end. However I feel
like
urban living is just beginning for me."
M. Skinner, Alma College |
| Through this trip, I gained a better knowledge of how inner city life works, and how it sociologically affects its residents. I have heard upper classmen say that this trip was one of their college career highlights, and now I know it is true. Thank you for giving me this very special and unique opportunity to learn more about the society we live in. | I made some great new friends that I was able to work and interact with and I learned so many awesome new ideas and concepts. Some I agree with and some I don't, bu they all have their place...I was even able to see how the theories in the book relate to the real world around us. | I liked the tour of the South Side because we got to see the part of Chicago that people don't want us to see. I was surprised ot see how good that part of town looked...I realize that it is possible to live safely in a city. Thank you for the opportunity to realize this. |
Internship
Organizations
in Chicago - comments about our students!
| “Our Urban Life Center intern
was
a big help to us at Victory Gardens Theater, and it gave her the
opportunity
to become familiar with Chicago and Chicagoans in a way that I think
would
be impossible without the connections she made through her work
experience
and the Center. We're excited about the program and we hope to do
it again.”
John Walker, Managing Director Victory Gardens Theater |
“I am highly impressed with
the
quality of Urban Life Center interns who work at Fellowship House.
These interns, in six months of service, have had a profound impact on
the lives of members of this community. ULC interns have developed
urban canoeing programs, specialized programs for teens and conducted
crisis
intervention work with families...having ULC interns at our community
center
greatly enhances the quality of service we provide.”
Andrew Hart, Program Director Chicago Youth Centers Fellowship House |
| “Urban Life Center encourages
student
teachers to reflect upon and process their urban experience to meet the
challenges of their future profession. When it comes to educating
prospective teachers and ultimately reforming what goes on in the
classroom,
I am confident that the Urban Life Center/Beasley Academic Center
partnership
is resoundingly successful.”
Virginia Khandi Selmon, Instructional Coordinator Beasley Academic Center |
“I am very selective about the
Student Teaching Programs we partner with. Urban Life Center
is top-notch. The quality of ULC students help us reach our vision of
becoming
a community of learners.”
Virginia Vaske, Principal Murray Language Academy |
College
&
University Professors
| Here
are
some quotes from the students' papers. All in all, the students
were very positive about their experience and we thank you for the time
and effort you put into coordinating the week. I will call you in
a week or so to talk about scheduling future experiences...
"I got more out of this week than any experience I have every had in the field of education." "...most valuable experience..." "...remember for the rest of my life" "...education experience of a lifetime" "...did not want to leave" Rahima Wade, University of Iowa |
Willamette
University's
association with Urban Life Center has been an extremely valuable
one for our students, faculty nd the University as a whole. The
impact
can be seen in a variety of different ways...one is an enhanced
appreciation
of the role of race and ethnicity in American life...students who have
participated in ULC programs return to campus with a greater
appreciation
of and interest in these issues... Every portion of the Willamette
community,
students, faculty and the University as a whole, has been enriched by
our
affiliation with ULC. I recommend them most strongly.
Steve Hey, Willamette University |
Considering
the
many benefits of this program, the costs seem minimal. In fact, if
we had to pay directly to accomplish the same goals, it would cost many
times. more. We have had no serious problems in administering the
program, nor have there been any significant safety or liability
problems
for the students involved. The staff are committed, well trained,
helpful
and genuinely interested in each student's intellectual growth.
David Iaquinta, Nebraska Wesleyan University |
| "The ULC is an educational center, not a social service center. Their purpose is to provide a linkage between the academy and experiential learning in the city." | "The students who have participated to date have not been exposed to physical danger or harassment. Students are taught how to take care of themselves...I got a very good impression of the ULC staff, not just of their competence but of their character. They are people I would be inclined to trust..." | "ULC offers a variety of practicum opportunities. I had visited thinking that it would be of relevance primarily to social work students, but I now realize that it's much broader than that. Students can get internship experience in almost any field - theater, banking, foreign language, politics, journalism, counseling, elementary or secondary education, ar therapy - to name some of those specifically discussed in our meeting with the staff..." |
| "My experience with ULC has been extremely positive over many years. I have encouraged dozens of Albion College students to spend a semester in Chicago under ULC's auspices taking classes and engaging in a professional internship. Nearly all of those students have been satisfied with their experiences, and all have benefitted significantly from their involvement with ULC. Many of them have returned to the City after graduation to undertake their first job, and many live there still." | "The very best thing that I can say about the Urban Life Center is that it gives my students the gift of the city. They often begin their experience with fear and uncertainty, and Urban Life helps them build the confidence and the knowledge not only to be successful but to live well in the city... to become cosmopolitan. Nothing that we offer on campus can duplicate that." | "I
have also been taking groups of students to Chicago for many years for
short programs organized by Urban Life that augment my classes by
exposing
students to racial and
ethnic diversity. We are there for about three days each time; yet students write to me years later saying "remember that incredible trip that we had in Chicago? It completely changed how I think about cities." Every professor should be so lucky!!" Len Berkey, Albion College |
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Thank you! |
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